Rotary cloth finishing press



Aug. 29, 1944. D. GESSNER ROTARY CLOTH FINISHING PRESS Filed Dec. 16, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 29, 1 944. D. GESSNER v ROTARY CLOTH FINISHING PRESS 7 Fi led Dec. 16, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet ,2 m K3 Y k w '0 I, o h v Q Aug. 29, 1944. D, GESSNER 2,357,185

ROTARY CLOTH FINISHING PRESS 7 Filed m. 16, 1940 V 4 Sheets-Sheet s .ZYZdQKIT W G'esszer Aug. 29, 1944. D. GEsNER 3 ROTARY CLOTH If'lNISH ING PRE SS Filed 09 -11 1940 4 sheet -sh 4 /I IIIIII In Jew-5&7.

Patented Aug. 29, 1944 2,357,185 ROTARY CLOTH FINISHING PRESS David Gressner, Worcester, Mass.; Gertrude 0..

Gessnen'executrix of said David Gessner, deceased, assignor to David Gessner Company, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 16, 1940, Serial No. 370,328 I 3 Claims.

This invention relatesto machines for ironing and pressing woolen or worsted cloth in the piece and during the manufacture thereof. In such machines, the cloth is passed through the machine under pressure and between a rotated cylinder and one or more non-rotated ironing members.

It is a general object of my invention to provide improvedmeans to produce relative axial movement between the rotated cylinder and ironing member and for limiting the approach of these parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved hydraulic means by which ironing pressure may be applied or released between the cylinder and ironing member.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings, in which M Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved finishing press;

Fig. 2 is a partial rear elevation, looking in the direction of the arrow 2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial side elevation, with certain parts shown in section; V

Figs. 4 and 5 are detail plan views, looking in the directions of the arrows 4 and 5' respectively in Fig. 3

Fig. 6 is a plan viewof a bearing plate;

Fig. 7 is a partial front elevation, looking in the direction of 'the arrow 1 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a rear elevation, looking in the direction of the arrow 8 in Fig. 1;

Figs. 9 and 10 are partial sectional side eleva tions, taken along the lines 9 9 and Fig. 8 respectively; and

Fig. 11 is a partial plan view, looking in the direction of the arrow H in Fig. 8. e

Referring to the drawings, my improved press comprises heavy side frame members (Fig. 1) secured in fixed spaced relation by a heavy cross frame member or girder 21 (Fig. 8).

An ironing bed 23 (Fig. 8) is provided with projections 24 (Fig. 11) which extend loosely between upright angle guides 25' secured to the inner faces of the side frame members 20/ The projections 24 are freely slidable vertically between the angle guides 25, and limited lateral lost motion is also permitted, v 7 Lugs 26 project downward in pairs from the bed 23 and receive short cross shafts 21 which pivotally support rectangular blocks 28. The flat lower faces of these blocks 28 engage fiat bearing surfaces 29 on the upper face of the girder 2|. The bed 23 is thus rigidly supported on the girder 2| but is capable of limited horizontal sliding movement relative thereto.

Ill-l0 in The upper face of the bed 23 is made concave and of somewhat greater radius than the cylinder 3t, as indicated in Fig. 9, and the inner part of the bed 23 is preferably recessed as indicated at 3|. The concave face is highly polished or is covered with a polished sheet metal casing member and a spreader plate 23 is preferably provided.

The combined sliding and pivotal mounting of the bed 23'permits the bed to automatically ad just itself in axial alignment with the cylinder 30 during an ironing operation. The cylinder 30 is mounted on a driving shaft 32 rotatable in bearings 33 (Fig. 8). Each bearing 33 is provided with depending ears 35 (Fig. 2) between which the upper end of a connecting rod 36 is pivotally mounted. The lower end of each rod 36 is provided with a head 31 (Fig. 1) pivotally connected at 38 to a pressure lever 39 mounted on a fiixed pivot 40.

The outer end of each lever 39 is pivotally connected to a piston rod 42 having a piston 43 slidable in a pressure cylinder 44 pivotally supported at 45 on a fixed bracket 46. Pipes 41 and 48 connect each. cylinder 44 to suitable hydraulic apparatus by which pressure may be selectively applied or released under manual control at either end of the cylinders 44. By such application of pressure above the piston 43, the cylinder 33 may be raised above the bed 23 to permit threading of the cloth through the machine, or the bed 23 may be lowered and drawn downward with any desired pressure by application of pressure below the piston 43.

Guide-pins 5 (Figs. 1 and 3) are fixed in the upper edges of the side frames 2|! and project into vertical cylindrical openings 5| in the base portion 52 of each cylinder shaft bearing 33. As the cylinder is raised or lowered, the guidepins 50 insure vertical straight line movement thereof. r Y

For adjustably limiting downward movement of the cylinder 33, I-provide a pair of stop screws for each bearing base portion 52, said stop screws being threaded in bushings 55 (Fig. 3)- in the base portions 52 and having their lower end portionsengaging bearing plates 51 (Figs. '3 and 6) mounted on the upper edges of the side frame members 29.

Worm gears 60 (Figs. 3 and 4) are fixed to the upper ends of the stop screws 55 and are en gaged by worms 6| mounted on worm shafts 52 rotatable in bearings 63 in bearing brackets '64, each of which is loosely mounted on theupper end of one of the stop screws 55 but held from axial movement relative thereto.

A hand wheel 61 (Fig. 3) on one of the worm shafts 62 constitutes means bywhich the associated pair of stop screws 55 at one end of the cylinder 30 may be raised or lowered relative to their bearing base portion 52. The worm shaft 62 at the opposite end of the cylinder 30 is simultaneously operated through a cross shaft ID (Fig. '7) rotatable in bearing brackets II each loosely mounted on one of the stop screws 55 as indicated in Fig. 3 but held from axial movement relative thereto.

' The cross shaft 10 is connected through bevel gears I3 to the worm shaft 62 on which the hand wheel 61 is mounted, and is similarly connected through additional bevel gears to the corresponding worm shaft 62 at the opp site end of the cylinder 30. All four stop screws 55 may thus be simultaneously adjusted by turning the hand wheel 61.

If it is desired to raise or lower one end of the cylinder 30 relative to the other, advantage is taken of the clutch device shown in Fig. 7, the cross shaft I being made in two parts I0 and with a clutch collar fixed to the shaft portion Ill and recessed to receive one end of the shaft portion 10*. A second clutch collar I6 is mounted on the shaft portion 70 and may be disengaged to permit turning of the portion 10' relative to the portion H1 by loosening the binding screw 11 and withdrawing the clutch collar I6 from the clutch collar I5.

I have thus provided convenient means by which the cylinder 30 may be raised or lowered relative to the ironing member 23 and by which a positive limit of downward movement is established.

A graduated dial 8!! (Figs. 3 and 5) is mounted at the upper end of one of the stop screws 55 and coacts with a fixed index 8| to indicate angular adjustment of the screws 55. A suitable steam connection 85 (Fig. 8) is provided at one end of the cylinder 30, steam being admitted through a pipe 86 and water of condensation being withdrawn through a pipe 81.

.Thecloth C, as it is drawn into the machine, Passes over a guide-roll 90 (Fig. 3), past a steaming device 9| and over arlaying brush 92 which is rapidly rotated in bearings 93. The cloth then passes over the spreader bar 23* and under the cylinder 30 as previously described.

.A brush rod 95 is mounted on arms 96 (Fig. '7) secured on a cross shaft 91 rotatable in fixed bearings on the frame of the machine and having a worm gear 98 at its outer end engaged by a worm 99 (Fig. 1) on a worm shaft I00, also mounted in fixed bearings and having a handle I III by which it may be turned. By operation of the handle IOI, the brush rod 95 may be moved about the axis of the cross shaft 91 to increase or decrease the degree of engagement of the cloth C with the brush 92. A suitable casing I02 (Fig. 3) is provided to catch the dust and waste thrown off by the brush 92.

.Before the cloth C reaches the guide-roll 90, it is preferably tensioned and stretched sidewise by the devices shown at the right in Fig. 1 and comprising a guide-roll H0, friction roll III, a second guide-roll I I2 and a spreader or stretcher roll II3. Friction is applied to the friction r011 III by -a band H5 (Figs. 1 and '7), one end of which is fixed to the lower end of a lever I I6 pivoted on a stud II! and provided with an adjusting screw II 8 engaging a stop plate or abutment I20. Theband II'5 engages a friction pulley H5 on the friction roll shaft I I I.

By turning the screw H8, the friction of the band I I5 on the roll III may be adjusted. An index arm I2I extends upward from the lever H6 and coacts with a fixed graduated plate I22 to indicate the adjustment of the friction band.

The stretcher r011 H3 is preferably mounted in split bearings I30 (Fig. 1) which may be tightened or loosened by adjusting screw I3| and hand wheels I32 to increase or decrease the retarding and stretching effect of the roll H3. The stretcher roll H3 in itself forms no part of my present invention and may be of any usual construction, such as is shown for instance at K (Fig. ,2) in the prior patent to Miller No. 257,508.

Having described the details of construction of myimproved press and the operation of the several devices embodied therein, the use and operation of the machine as a whole will be readily understood. As the cloth C approaches the cylinder 30, it is tensioned by the friction roll Ill and extended laterally by the stretcher roll H3, is steamed as it passes over the steaming device 9|, and is brushed or layed by the brush 92, the effect of this brushing operation being controlled by adjustment of the brush rod 95. The cloth then passes between the cylinder 30 and the ironing member 23, the spacing of these parts being determined by the stop screws 55, and the pressure by the weight of the parts and the pressure in th hydraulic cylinders 44. The cloth is then removed over aguide-roll I52 and may b rolled or folded or otherwise disposed of as desired.

Having thus described (my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not Wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

e 1. A cloth finishing press comprising a rotated pressing cylinder, a non-rotated ironing member underlying said cylinder, hydraulic means to raise and lower said cylinder and to increase the ironing pressure relative vto said ironing member, means at both ends to limit the approach of said cylinderto said ironing member,

, an adjusting means, and mechanism interposed between said adjusting means and said limiting means to simultaneously adjust said limiting means at both ends of said cylinder.

2. A cloth finishing press comprising a rotated pressing cylinder, an ironing member underlying said cylinder, hydraulic means to'raise and lower said cylinder relative to said ironing member, means to limit the approach of said cylinder to said ironing member, mechanism to simultaneously adjust said limiting means at both ends of said cylinder, and additional devices to adjust the limiting means at oneend of said-cylinder relative to the limiting means at the other end of said cylinder.

3. In a cloth finishing ,machine, a rotated pressing cylinder, a. non-rotated concave ironing member underlying-said cylinder, a rigid frame having a girder underlying said ironing member, combined pivotal and slidable supporting connections between said girder and said ironing member, rigid lugs on each end of said ironing 

